Sheet-metal door



y 3, 1929. B. J. GoLD'sWT ET AL 1,714,979

SHEET METAL DOOR Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Ber/ram dGo/dsmi/h.

MM ATTORNEY May 28, 1929.

B. J. GOLDSMITH ET AL 1,714,979

SHEET METAL DOOR Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Ber/"ramJGo/osmi/h.

BY ZZZZZ VIQM/W ORNEY mm mu y 1929. B. J. GOLDSMITH ET AL 1,714,979

SHEET METAL DOOR Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TORS Ber/ amJ Goldsmi/h.

1 [mil Koch.

WM aw A TTORNEYS.

Q6 BY B. J. GOLDSMITH ET AL 1.714.979

. May 28, 1929,

SHEET METAL DOOR Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Shet 4 y 1929. B. J.GOLDSMITH ET AL 1,714,979

SHEET METAL DOOR Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet J 5 INVENTORS BerirumJ Goldsmi T0 2 A T RNEYS Patented May 28 1929.

unman stares w {ru ers earns 'BERTRA-M J. GOLDSMITH AND EMIL KOEB, onNEW YORK, 1v. Y.,-nssionons, BY ivrnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ENGLISH &MERSICK COMPANY, or vijuavv HAVENUCONNECT- room, A CORPORATION orCONNECTICUT.

, SHEET-METAL DOOR.

Application filed May 5,

This invention relates to improvements in sheet metal doors designedprimarily for use in closed automobile constructions.

'It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide animproved supporting'frame which can be cheaply and simply constructedand which will support the operating mechanism of the door such as thewindow regulator and latch mechanism and which can be covered afterthese parts are pear from the following description taken in connectionwith the drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the side members of the door frame showing themspaced as position.

the initial step in the manufacture of the door.

Fig. 2 is a section on the'line 22 of Fig. 3 showing the cross membersof the door in Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the assembled doorframe.

Fig. 4 is a section thereof on the line l4 Fig. 5 is a section on theline-5 5 of Fig. 6.

i 6 is an elevationalview of the completed frame showing the window theI face of the sheet metal facing for the door.-

structure shown in Fig. 8.

W'lClOlM regulator, and latch mechanism installed in position thereonbefore the outer facing is secured in position.

' Fig. 7 is an edge view thereof.-

Fig. 8 is an elevational View of the outer Fig. 9 is a section thereofon the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the Fig. '11 is a section thereof onthe line 1'111 of Fig. 9. I

Fig. 12 is an inner elevational view of the completed door.

Fig. 13 13 of Fig. 12. Fig. leis a horizontalsectionon'the'line 1444MFig. 1 3;

13 is'a-section thereof on the 'line' 1925. Serial no. 28,080.

Figpl5 is a plan viewv of the structure shown in Fig. 14'.

Fig. 16 is a broken perspective view of a portion of theautomobiledoor.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged horizontalsection of the door taken onsubstantially the same plane as Fig. 14.

Fig.-18 is a perspective View of a modification of the vertical framemember.

In the construction of a door according to this invention the first stepis the forr 1 orrics.

mation of a rigid inner framedesigned to receive all of the operativeparts of the'door so that the inner and outer coverings may be securedover the same and will not need to be disturbed for the laterinstallation of the window, for example. l-he description of the varioussteps in the formation of the "door'will be taken'up in connection withthe description of the parts'forming the door.

The rigid inner supporting frame indieated generally at 20 includes thevertical side members or pillars 22, 22 connected by the inner crossmembers 23 and the outer cross members 24.- The posts or pillars 22 arepreferably formed 'asinwardly opening channels and include the innerflange 26 and the outer flange 27.. 'The flange 26 may be re-bent uponitself so as to be reinforced v adjacent its point of connection withthe cross member 23. The side member 22ehas provision for receiving theouter facing of the door and to this end isformed-with a re-bent sectionforming a flange28 adjacent the base of the inwardly extending flange 27and is also formed with the inwardlyfacing channel 29 forming a guide 1for .the

window, the channel 29 preferabl-ybeing formed as an extension of theflange 27. The

side member 22 is constructed similarlyto the side member 22 butincludes, in addi tion to theflanges26 27 and 28 zthe offset shoulder 30forming the abutment for the swinging edge of the door. 7

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the cross pieces 23and 24-are formed in pairs throughout and include the top cross braces232.24 the two intermediate spaced cross bars 23? and 24: and the lowercross members 23 and 24, the lower section of the frame within :thewindow well being braced-by additional diagonal crosssbraces 23 and 249The cross members 23 and '24 may be convenientlyii attached f to theiflanges 26' and27 and 26 and 27 by means of bolts includes theoperating arm 33 and rack 34 controlled by the handle and gear 35although any other construction thereof would operate satisfactorily.The window is slidably mounted in the guides 29 on the vertical framemembers and carries adjacent the lower edge thereof a transverse guide41 designed to receive the free or extended end of the operator 33 sothat upon movement of the operating handle 35 the window 40 will beraised or lowered with respect to the frame. It is-preferred tointerline the channels 29with a felt packing to reduce the danger ofbreakage and to cause the window tooperate without noise. It will beseen that the mounting of the window 40 in the frame at this stage inthe construction is relatively simple since the top of the door isentirely open and the regulator mechanism entirely accessible, neitherthe inner nor outer covering having been placed upon the door.

The latch mechanism for the door may likewise be constructed in anypreferred manner and supported upon the plate 36 mounted between thecross. which may also be secured to the vertical side member 22. Thelatch mechanism includes the bolt 37,1the outside operating handle 38,and the inner vertically extended handle 39 so that the latch bolt maybe controlled from within or without the door as is usual in this typeof construction.

When this stage in the construction of the door has been reached, thatis when all of the moving parts of the door have been assembled inposition, the door is ready for its final step, namely the securing ofthe inner and outer covering or facings thereon. The inner face ofthedoor is arranged to be covered by means of any preferred. type ofupholstery mounted in position as follows. The upper portion'thereof isclamped by means of the inner sill member 51 against the upper crossmember 23", the sill 51 extending inwardly so as to engage the windowwhen in its raised position as shown in Fig. 13. The sides of the innercovering 50 are secured in position by line-ans of the bolts 52 whichhold the side and cross members toupon the frame structure.

bars 23 and struction the bolts 49 can be mounted in posi-- gether. Theupholstery strip 50 is prefer,- ably mounted in position before theouter face is secured to the door and it is accordingly possible to foldthe edges 'ofthe upholstery strip, as shown for example in Figs. 13 and14, and thus to hide the heads of the bolts which hold the "same inposition. The outer facing is constructed in a particular manner so asto cover all of the parts above described after they have been assembledpermanently n posltion on the frame.

To this end we have provided the sheet metal outer door casing 42 formedas an integral sheet metal body part including the window openin 43adjacent the upper portion thereof and carrying the supporting hinges44. The inner face of the body mem ber 42 is stamped or drawn inwardlyto provide the securing flanges 44 preferably entirely encircling thesame but spaced from the outer edge thereof as shown in Fig. 11 forexample, to provide the re-bent outwardly extending flange 45 designedto engage the supporting framework surrounding the door to form a tightseal thereof, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15 for example. The inwardlyextending flanges along the upper and lower edge ofthe door may beformed with apertures 46 so that these edges may be secured to the crosspieces 24" and 24 as by means of the securing screws: 47 or otherwise.Since the flanges on the vertical side edges of the door are secured tothe flanges 28 and 28 of the side members of the door, it is preferredthat the vertical flanges 44' be formed with securing slots 48 which receive the securing bolts 49 passing through apertures in the flanges 28and 28 so as to facilitate the final assembly of the plate By this contion with the nuts supported on the same and the outer casing thenslipped intoposition with the heads of the bolts positioned in the slots48, after which the bolts 49 can be tightened and the additional screws47 secured in position through the bottom and top apertures of the framepart 42 and the door is completed and ready to be mounted in position onthe frame as shown inFigz 14 for example.

The outer covering 42 of thedoor is preferably formed adjacentthe windowopening 43 with the inwardly extended sill members 54 and 55 the lowerof which engages with a suitable sealing strip on the window when thewindow is in raised position so" as to en tirely close the interior ofthe vehicle from the outside elements and the sides of the windowopening may likewise be finished by means of inwardly extended flangesbent from the material of the covering 42 adjacent the sides of theopening 43.

In Fig. 18 we have fied form of construction in which the winshown aslightly modis sembly and use of a door constructed according to thisinvention'is clear from the above description. Attention is called tothe fact that the first step in the formation of the door is the bendingof the side members 22 and 22 into the configuration shown in Fig.

l. The frontand rear cross braces are then secured to the side members,the window regulator and door latch mechanisms are secured to theintermediate cross bars, the window 40 being mounted in position on theinner frame member, the parts at this stage of the procedure beingshown, in Fig. 6 for example. The inner covering is then mounted beneaththe window opening on the inner side of the door and thereafter theouter face of the door is entirely covered by means of the sheet metalcovering member 42 and the door is then ready to be mounted in positionfor use.

The various steps'in the formation of the door are such that they can bemade within a minimum of time and with great accuracy and the door, whencompleted, in addition to its pleasing appearance is decidedly rugged inconstruction and is easily capable of withstanding the wear to which itis subjected. 7

By this method of construction the frame constitutes practically acomplete door so far as working parts are concerned. The mechanisms maybe tested under conditions which will not change after the frame ismounted in the body panel, in'particular the glass may be put into thisframe, the

regulator run up and down to see that it is working correctly and thatthe glass runs are free and the movable parts otherwise tested in situ.Furthermore, rather than to assemble such parts as the regulator, lock,

glass runs and upholstery to a finished painted door, these devices areattached to the frame which when complete, is attached to the body paneland this avoids the possibility of damage to the painted door panel,during these various operations. By this method the body panel can comedirectly from paint shop to the body factory and the assembled doorframe is then inserted either before or after the doorpanel is hung onthe body. It is clear that in the event of a i failure of either a lockor the regulator the frame maybe removed without touching the upholsteryto give access to the'regulator and lock.

It is obvious that many changes-may be made without departing from thescope of our invention.

WVe claim as our invention:

1. In a door construction, sheet metal side members, reenforcing crossmembers joining the corresponding inner and outer edges of saidsidemembers at'the upper, lower and intermediate portions thereof, thefree'edges of said side members being bent to form,

window guides, and inner and outer coverings for said door.

2. In a door, a sheet metal side member formed with a section extendingfrom the inner to the outer edge of the door, a flange constructed byrebending the material thereof upon itself adjacent the outer face ofthe door, said section being. continued to form a guide member, and asheet metalfacing for said door secured to said flange.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this4 day of May, D. 1925. 1

BERTRAM J. GOLDSMITH. I EMIL KOEB.

